UPDATE: There are conflicting reports on this story as Ryan Satin is reporting that the SmackDown TV tapings have not been cancelled or moved as of now. He tweeted the following,
WWE has NOT cancelled SmackDown in Detroit this week.
WWE statement/details coming shortly.
— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) March 12, 2020
With that being said, many in the company believe SmackDown will still be moved this week. WWE sent out the following statement in regards to the rumors that SmackDown will be airing from the WWE Performance Center on Friday night:
“WWE has not cancelled Friday Night SmackDown in Detroit, however, based on the current situation, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that upcoming WWE shows are cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues.”
ORIGINAL: According to a report from Pwinsider, this Friday night’s WWE SmackDown broadcast will no longer air from Detroit, Michigan. The show is being moved to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. This is where Wednesday night’s WWE NXT broadcast took place. WWE will be taping both SmackDown and 205 Live from the WWE Performance Center. An official announcement is expected to be made shortly.
WWE made the decision on Wednesday afternoon due to concern over the coronavirus pandemic. As of this writing, WWE RAW is still scheduled to air live from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but it’s possible they may relocate that show as well.
SmackDown will feature the returns of Jeff Hardy and Paige while RAW will feature the return of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
The WWE Performance Center can hold around 100 people.
